


Reality Check

by Dyonise



Category: Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Genre: Other, Social Awkwardness, Trust Issues, fear of touch, make Delara good again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 17:46:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13909068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dyonise/pseuds/Dyonise
Summary: Having returned from London to harsh reality of Prague, Adam Jensen notices a tad bit more sympathy around, coming from most unexpected sources - himself included. However, as past he never really dealt with properly looms just around the corner, the post-augmentation stress disorder he never went through kicks back in, and new trouble casts its shadows over the banks of Vltava, will he be able to find solace for his weary heart?





	Reality Check

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! I am totally new to this thing, and also to publishing my works, and to publishing things in the Internet in English, so be gentle :)  
> While there might be some romance involved here, the relationship tags are given rather to present people central to the plot, and the sexy time, if happens, will probably for the most time be just hinted at, so that your own imagination can work a bit as well.  
> Spokes in Two Wheels achieved by using a kill-switch on Marchenko is the canon ending here. There MIGHT BE some references to the Jensen-is-a-clone theory here and there as well.  
> Also, I am a speaker of Polish, a language similar to Czech enough for me to spot multiple instances of translation errors, which I intend to correct. Look in the end notes for a glossary of the most common names I opted for "augmenting".  
> Also, yet, this work will receive updates bi-monthly (as "every two months"), alternating with updates on my Mass Effect fanfic, "[Twillight Sparkle](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14243877)".

"Another day in paradise," Adam thought to himself after waking up in his bed, sore from all the post-London tension. While being able to save everyone was undoubtedly a heroic achievement, he did not feel like a hero, no. The fact is, he feared that people would not ponder much about what he's done there, but rather appreciate the idea of a kill-switch - a simple device, many will think, every aug should come packed with,  _just in case_. The slightly better outcome could be that maybe they'd turn their eyes to the fact that the inhumane death by augmentation failure was brought to an augmented terrorist by another agumented... Who? TF29's activities usually ended up between "restricted" and "top secret" on the confidentiality scale, it was intended that way. So... a top-secret police agent? Doesn't sound very convincing. "A mysterious hero of unknown affiliation"? Nope, not this century.

Adam was often lost to his own thoughts, but even though he's always been keeping to himself, his introvert nature was not so apparent in the past. In fact, Megan Reed was able to take him out of his protective shell. She made him care, discovered a whole new world of emotions he was not aware they existed. Dr Auzenne had once pointed out during their lengthy, tiring sessions that she did not believe in that what Adam shows the world is true Adam. He reluctantly admitted it might be true. Be that as it may, he still perceived Auzenne's consulting as tiresome bullshit meant to pester him when the only thing he ever asked for was to be left in peace.

The alarm clock started to ring loudly. 7 o'clock. Adam never woke up with the clock, always a couple minutes earlier, only to nosedive into the world of thoughts. This time, however, he decided not to waste his time. He felt that Monday would be a long, busy day, and last time he checked, the State Police checkpoints had not been removed from Prague's narrow, cobbled streets, making the daily commute tedious and irksome.

"Open blinds", he commanded, and as the smart home system complied and weak rays of winter sunlight brightened the dim bedroom, he looked into a big, dirty mirror standing next to his bed. Many layers of dust covering the pane combined with intricate glasswork gave a curious light-fracturing effect: while shapes of furniture remained vaguely visible, the mirror did not reflect the person standing in front of it anymore. A superstitious person would probably figure something terrible out of the fact; Adam, however, enjoyed this. He used to sleep with no clothes on, but he hated to look at himself naked – he wasn't even sure the word "naked" applied to him anymore. If what you have left is your head, torso, and privates, are you even able to be nude again? Do the sleeve and pantleg restrictions, common in places of cult, even apply to you anymore? Do the artificial, enhanced,  _augmented_  muscles impress and perplex in the same way natural ones do? Can the touch of artificial skin, black as the nightsky in the countryside, incite the same level of excitement, the thrill heralding pleasure to come, as the touch of a living tissue? He wasn't sure, and not for a moment willing to verify his assumptions, choosing emotional self-exile over ever attempting at emotional closeness again.

While one of the perks of living alone is a possibility to take long showers, Adam knew that day was not the right day. He opted for a quick one, a  _kiss from the rainforest_ , as Megan called these in rare moments when she dropped her scientist act for a more poetical disposition. Then, he quickly proceeded to the kitchen for his daily dose of sugar – the physical superpowers granted by extensive mechanical augmentation obviously came at a price of increased carbohydrate dosage – and left his flat, quickly moving through the streets towards the Čapkova Kašna station, hoping to avoid what he called a checkpoint situation. For a moment he considered walking further south to catch the subway at Žambochova, situated further away from the downtown and thus not as frequented by the State Police, but then he decided that straying away was not what he'd expect from himself. 

"Připravte si doklady na kontrolu1," the policeman demanded. Not in the mood for the usual backtalk, Adam passed the documents, showing his Interpol ID card as well as passport. "You must think you're someone special, huh?" the policeman asked, but not in the standard way, someplace between harsh and plain rude, but rather in a convivial tone. "Well, damn you are. We know what happened in London, and I, for one, am grateful."

"Considering what your people do to the augs on a daily basis, can't say I'm not surprised," Adam responded.

"Not everyone is like that... It's just the pain speaking, you know."

The policeman gave the documents back and moved away to let Adam through.

"I know," Adam said. "Maybe there is hope yet," he added in his thoughts. He would not place his bets on a massive mindset shift among the Praguers, but the conversation at the checkpoint, if only brief, gave him a sensation he hadn't felt for quite a long time. To say he was uplifted is perhaps too grand a word. But... Comforted?

The train was crowded. While the investigation at Růžičkovo nádraží has closed already, the city still hasn't recovered from chaos ensuing from a week of nighttime curfews imposed on the whole populace. Working hours in offices were adjusted so that companies ensured their employees did not end up dead somewhere in what even Picus nicknamed a "state-endorsed killing spree". This led to increased number of commuters needing to get to the downtown at the very exact same time, pushing the underground trains capacity far beyond limits. This, in turn, was used as a rationale for removing the aug compartments and disallowing augmented passengers altogether from most services, citing their "reduced transportation needs". As a compensation, the so-called "red trains" were introduced, circulating every two hours and only allowing the augs on board. It took Miller long enough to find a way for Jensen to use regular trains. Needless to say, other passengers tended to express their irritation in various ways, such as outright verbal abuse. Jensen's patience was tested every day, even though he needed to go off at the next station. The uncanny comfort he felt back at the checkpoint disappeared altogether.

Just as he stepped off at Palisády, his cochlear implant vibrated gently, indicating an incoming call.

"Jensen, do you hear me? It's Pritchard."

"Hello Francis. Long time."

"Yes, yes. Well, just to keep it short. Remember, you once asked me to assign additional security to the apparment of a senile woman, living in downtown Detroit?"

"What of it? Wasn't it cancelled after Sarif Industries went bancrupt?"

"No. I have made a new deal after all Sarif's security was laid off. I've been keeping an eye on that woman, Michelle Walthers. Tell me, was she someone important?"

"I never had a chance to explain, did I?"

"I just wanted you to tell that she passed away today. Cardiac arrest, unexpected, but no third party interference. I thought you might want to know."

Adam stood still for a moment and leaned against the concrete wall of the station's vestibule. Yet another shard of past fading away.

"Jensen, are you there?"

"Yes, Francis. Thanks for telling me. And yes."

"Yes what?"

"She was important. A family."

"Sorry to hear that. Let me know if you want to arrange something for her funeral."

"Alright. And Francis? Thanks. It actually meant a lot."

"What world do we live in if being humane is thanked for? Pritchard out."

"A surprisingly accurate question," Adam thought, unable to find any response to that. Pritchard was not waiting for his answer anyway. Jensen climbed the escalator, not working as usual due to shortages in maintenance staff attributed largely to the Aug Incident. Sun rose up a bit, but it did not get any warmer. Adam tensed up and walked down the Hlavní St. quicker than usual, disappearing in the crowd and thus avoiding any further checkpoints. He entered the office of Praha Dovoz and proceeded towards the lift, cleverly masked as a facility room, when his cochlear implant vibrated again.

"..."

"Hello? Who's speaking?" Adam asked.

"..."

"Hello?"

"..."

"Who's there?"

"I missed... the sound of your voice."

"Who is speaking?" Adam asked again in a demanding tone. However, the mysterious caller either hung up or lost coverage, leaving Jensen with yet another simultaneously familiar and unknown sensation, which he had trouble to accept given the circumstances. Adam felt that something long lost was being returned to him.

Kind of shocked and startled, he opened the door to TF29 base, determined to look back into what Michelle Walthers once told him, and hoping for once to find answers, and not more questions. 

 

  1. Cz.  _Prepare your documents for verification_



**Author's Note:**

> As promised, a short glossary with explanations where applicable:
> 
> Čistá Čtvrť - Čistá ([listen](https://pl.forvo.com/word/%C4%8Dist%C3%A1/#cs))  
> Dávný Čtvrť - Staré Město ([listen](https://pl.forvo.com/word/star%C3%A9_m%C4%9Bsto/#cs))  
> While čtvrť means "quarter" in Czech, it has only the numerical meaning of 1/4. The most common word for city district is simply část, meaning "part", or sídliště, roughly translating to "inhabited zone" and usually referring to big housing estates with blocks built of prefabricated elements. I opted for shortening Čistá Čtvrť to Čistá, as it is a common Slavic toponym, and replaced Dávný Čtvrť with Staré Město "Old Town", wild-guessing that it was the developers' intention. I also left Překážka ([listen](https://pl.forvo.com/word/p%C5%99ek%C3%A1%C5%BEka/#cs)) be, as even though it is not noted anywhere, it sounds plausible enough to be correct. 
> 
> Čapkova Kašna Nádraží - (stanice) Čapkova Kašna  
> Náměstí Mečů - (stanice) náměstí U ostří  
> Palisády Nádraží - (stanice) Palisády  
> U Památníku Nádraží - (stanice) U památníku  
> Poutník[ova] Nádraží - (stanice) Poutníkova  
> Růžičkovo Nádraží - (stanice) Růžičkovo nádraží  
> More changes here. While "nádraží" is a proper Czech word, it is only used for railway stations, and not underground, where "stanice" applies. "Stanice" is never a part of a station name in Prague, and thus is not capitalised, but if needed to clarify, the world will precede the station name. "Mečů" is the plural genitive of "meč", meaning 'sword'. There is only one Palisade Blade by the place, and 'blade' is "ostří" in Czech. The form used here, "u ostří", is analogous to "u památníku", as the ideas behind these names are quite similar. "Růžičkovo nádraží" stays as it was, as it is an actual railway terminal as well (cf. the real life station [Hlavní nádraží](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hlavn%C3%AD_n%C3%A1dra%C5%BE%C3%AD_\(Prague_Metro\))). Capitalisation is changed to reflect Czech, rather than English usage.
> 
> The station name Žambochova refers to Miroslav Žamboch, one of the best known Czech sci-fi writers nowadays. In line with DXMD creative decision, this station is nowhere to be found on Prague metro maps.


End file.
